Five gang members convicted of racketeering

The Associated Press - ATLANTA

A federal jury convicted five gang members of racketeering Thursday, based on allegations that included murder, drug dealing and weapons violations in metro Atlanta.

The five, all from Atlanta, were among 14 indicted two years ago in connection with a violent street gang known as Surenos-13, or SUR-13, prosecutors said.

The SUR-13 leader, Armondo Prudente, 34, along with Roberto Sandoval, 25, and Jorge Flores, 28, were found guilty of murdering Rogelio Guzman in a drive-by shooting in April 1999. Prudente ordered the shooting in the territory of a rival gang, and he gave guns to Sandoval and Florez, who carried out his orders, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Evidence during a month-long trial showed that Guzman was not a member of any gang but was singled out because of the type of vehicle that he drove.

Israel Cruz, 29, was found guilty of murdering Florentino Marcial, also not a gang member, at a neighborhood party in December 2003 after a fight broke out between SUR-13 and members of a rival gang. Cruz pulled out a handgun and started firing into the crowd, killing Marcial.

Ricardo Gama, 29, was convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. Evidence showed that he sold guns and drugs to fellow SUR-13 members.

Prudente, Sandoval, Cruz and Florez are expected to be sentenced to life in prison, and Gama could receive up to 20 years in prison at sentencing Feb. 19 by U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell.

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